The Guardsman
by GravityNeko
Summary: Young Leia stop in the palace gardens to rest when she feels someone watching her. Set two years before A New Hope.


Leia couldn't help but feel ill at ease; a strange feeling prickling all the way from the base of her spine to the nape of her neck. She shivered slightly as if trying to dispel the phantom chill she was feeling. She moved along, pressing further into the garden.

Her intent had to be to use it as a brief respite between classes.

She looked over her shoulder warily, but she wasn't quite sure what exactly she was expecting. Letting out a breath, she shook her head. She was being ridiculous and paranoid. Imaginings things that weren't there.

"Pull it together, Leia." She chided herself. "You're just overtaxed from your studies." She reached up and pushed back a loose strand of hair from her face. She pushed on, casting aside her lingering suspicion.

When she was about thirty feet inward, she felt it again. This time it was much more than an abstract feeling; it almost felt like she was….being watched. Leia turned around on instinct and let her eyes scan her surroundings.

Nothing.

No. Wait.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a mass of leaves shaking and swaying near the entrance—as if they'd just been jostled. Then she caught a glimpse of a face peering through the leaves, eyes like onyx.

"Who's there?" She asked loudly. "Show yourself."

The leaves ruffled again and a large form stepped from behind wall of foliage. A man dressed in the royal blue of a guardsman came into view. His hair was pitch-black, inky and he had matching eyes set into a tanned, angular face. He was looking at her with somber eyes. On his chest, an insignia was patched over his heart; the crest of the Royal House of Alderaan.

Leia recognized him as belonging to the East Wing Corps of the palace guards; he was one of Captain Ryker's men.

In other words, he was part of the corps that guarded her quite closely.

She scrutinized him with great intensity. What was his name again? Hawke? No, that was his last name. M-M…. Malcolm. That was it!

Malcolm Julius Hawke.

The sound of a throat clearing jarred her out of her reverie.

"I'm sorry to have disturbed you, Your Highness." Hawke apologized, his voice a deep rumble. "I didn't mean to invade your privacy."

Leia looked back at him and studied him once more. The dark blue of his uniform only seemed to make his dark eyes blacker. But instead of endless voids like they should have been, they reflected the brilliant light, shining like polished gemstones.

Those eyes...

_Focus, Leia. _She scolded herself.

This was not the time to being waxing poetic about the guardsman's eyes. She sighed inwardly. She didn't have time for this—she couldn't. Thoughts like those were not on the agenda.

She was studying to become a politician after all.

"You didn't." She responded dismissively. "I'd just prefer that a person would announce themselves."

"Very well, Ma'am." At her raised eyebrow, he corrected himself. "Uh, Your Highness."

Sighing she asked, "Why are you here? Is it the professor….or perhaps my father sent you?"

Hawke replied somberly. "Neither, Your Highness."

Any other time she wouldn't have minded the title, she had silently corrected him earlier after all, but for some reason the constant Your Highnessing was unsettling for reasons she couldn't understand.

There was something different in the way he said it.

"Your Highness? I meant no disrespect, Princess." Hawke said. "I was simply concerned for you."

Her eyes assessed his features. He appeared to be sincere in his words, but there was something she couldn't put a finger on.

There. Something lurked behind the guardsman's eyes: a flicker of unspoken emotion.

They softened considerably.

"You needn't look so frightened." Hawke assured. "I'm not going to hurt you, my job is to protect you…" His voice took on a certain huskiness.

He walked toward her with the ease of large feline. No, he didn't walk, he stalked….exactly like a cat. A great shudder went through her body, responding to him on the most basic level.

She let out an audible, ragged breath. Leia could feel her heart hammering in her chest and hear the roar of blood thundering in her ears.

"You're mistaken, I'm not afraid." She corrected, trying to sound more sure than she currently felt.

"Am I?" The intonation resonated doubt.

Those two words spoke volumes, not only did they hold doubt, they also said he was toying with her.

Irritation flared within her.

"There's that fire." He murmured, a smile tugging at his lips.

Leia shuddered again at the sensual tone. Though there was something soft about it too…welcoming.

He seemed to be studying her closely as if expecting a response. It was obvious he was well aware of what he was doing.

"Your hair looks lovely today." He remarked suddenly. "I like it much better than those buns."

His eyes glinted playfully.

Leia blinked in surprise—his compliment entirely coming out of left field. An involuntary flush crept up her cheeks and her tongue remained tied briefly.

Coming to her senses, she shook herself out of her stupor.

"You're far too familiar, Hawke." She snapped defensively.

"A thousand apologies, Princess."

So he said, but she could tell he wasn't sorry at all. He was nearly smirking. The nerve. That…rogue. No, rogue was too kind.

Hawke continued, "Besides your sharp wit, your beauty is whispered amongst the guards and servants. I have only been able to admire you from afar though."

His eyes remained focused on hers, and she could now see the pupils clearly. He had gotten closer than Leia had realized. He was now within a few feet of her. Then he reached out and threaded his fingers through her long, braided hair, his eyes studying her face with a renewed intensity. She should have jerked away but for some unexplainable reason she did not. She simply let him continue to run his fingers through her hair. Her eyes locked on his as he gazed deep into them.

_I can't let this happen, she thought frantically._

Her brain tried to instill reason, but she was losing the war fast. Her emotions simply wouldn't respond to reason; probably in large fact due to her body's separate and opposite response. She was too entirely focused on Hawke himself to get herself to see otherwise. Her gaze took in the planes of his tanned face. They examined those pitch black orbs. And perused those utterly sensual lips.

She was on the verge of swooning, she thought dismally.

Hawke's hand fell from her hair and took her chin in his hand.

"Don't be afraid, Princess." He whispered soothingly.

"I'm not." She protested, trying to extract herself.

"I think you are…" He paused. "Afraid to do what you want that is."

"You presume far too much." She retorted, the sting slightly waning.

Even though she wanted to be furious at his presumptuousness, Leia found she could not. As much as his conceited nature riled her, there was another part of her that intrigued her.

He smirked slightly.

"Then prove me wrong..." Hawke challenged.

Chin still held within his grasp, he gently drew her face closer to his. Leia trembled at the heated touch, a thrill rushing through her. He wouldn't dare! Would he? Oh, she shouldn't let him, it couldn't happen, but somehow she didn't have it in her to stop him. Not that she couldn't. No, it was because deep down, she wanted it, yearned for it.

"Hawke." She whispered, her eyes closing.

It was all the invitation he needed. Without wasting anther second, he brought his mouth down hotly onto hers. She gasped slightly as his lips seemed to sear hers. Her lashes fluttered rapidly and her heart quickened its pace. His kiss…was completely electrifying, causing that furious spark to dance throughout her whole body. She moaned against his mouth.

Then, just as quickly, it was over.

Leia felt the pressure of his lips leave hers as he gently pulled away, his hand releasing its hold on her chin. She nearly whimpered at the sudden loss, but somehow kept herself from doing so. Her eyes remained shut as if trying to savor the moment; to make it last just a bit longer.

She could sense him putting distance between them, even if she didn't see it directly.

"Keep your eyes closed." He instructed softly.

Without hesitation, she strangely did as he bade. There was silence for a long period of time. Leia opened her eyes after a while only to find that Hawke was nowhere to be seen. She glanced around, eyes searching furiously.

"Hawke?" She ventured.

Nothing.

Her shoulder sagged in dejection and she let out a heavy sigh.

She murmured, "You could have at least given me the courtesy of saying goodbye."

After that, she rarely saw Hawke. She would have presumed the moment entirely a dream or a figment of her imagination if her lips hadn't tingled so. Her last glimpse of Hawke was during a celebration to welcome a visiting dignitary. She had caught him staring at her so brazenly and had blushed.

A few days later, she'd heard a rumor that Hawke had been restationed. She wondered if others had caught on to what transpired between them.

She never found out.

Leia sighed and sat up in the Falcon's copilot seat, coming back to the present. What is the Sith had triggered that memory!? She wondered. She hadn't thought of the guardsman in a decade. 

"Something wrong, Sweetheart?" Her husband, Han inquired.

Leia plastered on reassuring smile. "No."

She should have felt guilty for lying to him, but what good would it have done to bring up Hawke. It was most likely the man had died during the war long time ago or perhaps even on Alderaan.

It was the past, and best to be kept in the past.

END


End file.
